Cole Creek Pond

Alger County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

4ft Max
depth

5.8 acres 2 contours 25% weedy

Paddling Index86Very GoodMedium confidenceaway from major roads · sheltered geometry · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

024

The lake

Survey readout

Cole Creek Pond is mapped to a depth of 4 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 5.8 acres in Alger County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 4 ft
Mean depth: 1.3 ft · estimated
Surface area: 5.8 acres
Estimated volume: 8 acre-ft · 2M gal
Shoreline: 0.6 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 25% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: No public DNR launch identified

Additional depth details2 contours

Contour depths: 0–4 ft
Recorded point soundings: 4 ft

100% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Alger County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 105 lakes and 1 bay · tap a dot for that lake

Chart data

Provenance

Sources: MI DNR inland lake contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL), MI DNR Boat Launches.

⚠ Not for navigation

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Map details & sources5 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Colour shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 46.36411, -86.75959
MI DNR lake ID: L35139
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 0.4 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21

86 / 100Very GoodData confidence: Medium

Cole Creek Pond has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well sheltered geometry, little nearby major-road exposure. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Excellent	30.3 of 35	87% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (70% forest, 17% wetland; 10% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	29.4 of 29	mean fetch 165 m · 100% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
Watercraft controls	None identified	8.8 of 18	No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public access	Not listed	—	No DNR-listed access site. Township, county and road-end launches are not in this source, so this is not evidence that access is poor — the component is excluded and the remaining weights are renormalized.
Road isolation	Excellent	17.6 of 18	relatively isolated from major roads · 2 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 36 vehicles/day

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity: High — narrow throughout — passing wakes would reach most of the water
Aquatic vegetation: Moderate — approximately 25% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
Observed motorized activity: Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential: High — 70% forest and 17% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →

How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public environmental, access, roadway and watercraft-control data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights: natural setting 30%, geometric wind exposure 25%, watercraft controls 15%, public access 15%, road isolation 15%; observed motorboat activity is weighted 0% because no defensible lake-level measurement exists. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Sources: MI DNR Watercraft Control Areas (2026-08), USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (2025) and MI DNR bathymetric survey outline (0 ft isobath). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from active stocking

No recent catch, survey, or stocking data for this lake.

Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Brook Trout (last planted 1999) — not shown above.

Compiled from Michigan DNR stockings within the last 10 years. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1980–1999

Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.

Brook trout7,730 stocked · 1980–1999 · 18 plantings

No stockings recorded since 1999 — shown as history.

Source: Michigan DNR Fish Stocking Database.

Non-native species records

1 record

Fish

Flathead Catfish

What does non-native mean?

USGS records identify non-native species that have been documented for this lake or its shoreline. Non-native does not necessarily mean invasive, and historical records do not confirm current presence.

Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; underlying nonindigenous species records from the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance

Denman's Hardware Inc.≈6 mi320 E Superior St, Munising · Google · Apple

Hillside Party Store East LLC≈8.2 miE9825 Co Rd H15, Munising · Google · Apple

Dealers licensed by the Michigan DNR to sell live bait; listing is not an endorsement. Distances are straight-line, not driving — and call ahead: hours and stock change. Source: Michigan DNR retail bait dealer data.

Quick answers

Cole Creek Pond — common questions

How deep is Cole Creek Pond?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Cole Creek Pond is 4 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is Cole Creek Pond?

Cole Creek Pond covers about 5.8 acres in Alger County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Cole Creek Pond?

The estimated mean depth of Cole Creek Pond is 1.3 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Cole Creek Pond?

No public launch for Cole Creek Pond appears in the Michigan DNR access data. That is not the same as the lake being private -- municipal and private ramps are not in that source.

More lakes in Alger County